This application is based on and claims the benefit of German Patent Application No. 198 27 956.6 filed Jun. 23, 1998, which is incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a method for setting up a telecommunications connection from a calling subscriber to a called subscriber according to the preamble of claim 1, a service control point according to the preamble of claim 9, and a communications network of a long distance carrier according to the preamble of claim 10.
In conventional connection setup methods, a call request is routed to the subscriber line of the called subscriber by means of the called subscriber""s dial number entered in the call request. The dial number defines the path through the communications network and is evaluated step by step in the course of the path, i.e., it addresses first the local access and transit area and the local exchange and then the subscriber line of the called subscriber within the numbering-plan area of the local exchange.
The invention assumes a connection setup in a deregulated network environment in which a plurality of subscriber line networks of different network operators share a numbering-plan area, e.g., a local access and transit area, and number portability exists between the subscriber line networks of these network operators. Number portability means that there is free assignment of dial numbers of the numbering-plan area to subscriber line network operators and that consequently the subsciber line network of the called subscriber cannot be detected by a special identifier within the dial number. Such a connection setup method is described, for example, in the report entitled xe2x80x9cHigh Level Service Description for Number Portabilityxe2x80x9d by the Public Network Operators Interest Group dated Jun. 29, 1994.
Number portability is implemented by translating the dial number by means of call forwarding or by means of an IN service (IN=Intelligent Network). If a subscriber within a local access and transit area switches from a first network operator to a second network operator and wants to take his dial number with him, such call forwarding is installed in the subscriber line network of the first network operator. If a service of the subscriber line network of the first network operator detects a call request with this dial number, the call request is rerouted to the subscriber line network of the second network operator. This rerouting is implemented by entering in the call request, in place of the original dial number, a new dial number which addresses the called subscriber according to a second addressing scheme specially created for this case.
This connection setup method has the disadvantage that many services must be installed and their data inventory synchronized.
Thus, it is the object of the invention to implement a connection setup in a deregulated network environment with communications networks of different long distance carriers and subscriber line network operators with the least possible technical complexity.
This object is attained by a method for setting up a telecommunications connection from a calling subscriber to a called subscriber according to the teaching of claim 1, a service control point according to the teaching of claim 9, and a communications network of a long distance carrier according to the teaching of claim 10.
The invention is based on the idea of combining the access monitoring function for access to the communications network of a long distance carrier and the number portability function for determining the subscriber line network of the called subscriber within an IN service. This novel service is triggered when a call request arrives at the communications network of the long distance carrier.
This has the advantage of reducing the average number of services that need to be provided for connection setup within the deregulated network environment. The connection setup time is shortened and the required IN data processing capacity is reduced (IN=Intelligent Network). Furthermore, the number of databases and the number of total data to be stored and synchronized are significantly reduced.
A further advantage of the invention is that it can be integrated in the existing network architecture at little cost.
Advantageous embodiments of the invention are set forth in the subclaims.
It is particularly advantageous to provide a common database for executing the access monitoring function and the number portability function. The data required by both functions can be structured such that the number of stored data is significantly reduced compared to two separate databases.